Rick Ray (basketball)

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Rick Ray
Current position
TitleAssistant coach
TeamVanderbilt
ConferenceSoutheastern Conference
Biographical details
Born (1970-05-08) May 8, 1970 (age 53)
Compton, California, U.S.
Alma materGrand View
Playing career
?–1994Grand View
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1996–1997Omaha (graduate assistant)
1997–2004Indiana State (assistant)
2004–2006Northern Illinois (assistant)
2006–2010Purdue (assistant)
2010–2012Clemson (assistant)
2012–2015Mississippi State
2015–2020Southeast Missouri State
2020–2024Colorado (assistant)
2024–presentVanderbilt (assistant)
Head coaching record
Overall88–164

Rick Ray (born May 8, 1970) is an American college basketball coach who is an assistant coach at Vanderbilt University. He was formerly the head men's basketball coach at Mississippi State and Southeast Missouri State.[1]

Biography[edit]

Ray was born in Compton, California; however, his family moved to Kansas City, Kansas when Ray was 6 years old. He is an All-American Scholar Athlete basketball player who played at Grand View College, where he majored in Applied Mathematics and Secondary Education. After graduation, Ray worked as an actuary in Chicago, but soon realized that he wanted to be a basketball coach. He quit his actuary job and became a coach and teacher at a high school in Des Moines, Iowa.[2] After 1+1⁄2 years, he left to become a graduate assistant coach at Nebraska-Omaha. While at Nebraska-Omaha, he also earned a master's degree in Sports Administration. From there, Ray was an assistant coach at Indiana State, Northern Illinois, Purdue, and Clemson, before being hired by Mississippi State.[3]

Upon hiring Ray, Mississippi State Athletics Director Scott Stricklin said, “Rick fits the model of head coach we have sought to bring into our program over the last several years. He is bright, enthusiastic, disciplined and is a man of integrity. He has served with some of the top head and assistant coaches in college basketball and will bring a piece of all of them to our head coaching position.” [4]

On March 21, 2015 Ray was fired by Mississippi State.[5] He was subsequently hired by Southeast Missouri State. After finishing the 2019–20 season with a 7–24 record, Ray was let go by Southeast Missouri State.[6]

On July 20, 2020, Ray was hired by Colorado as an assistant coach. He helped lead the Buffaloes to two NCAA tournament bids in 2021 and 2024.[7] Ray left Colorado following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season to join the staff at Vanderbilt as an assistant coach.[8]

Head coaching record[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Mississippi State Bulldogs (Southeastern Conference) (2012–2015)
2012–13 Mississippi State 10–22 4–14 T–12th
2013–14 Mississippi State 14–19 3–15 14th
2014–15 Mississippi State 13–19 6–12 T–11th
Mississippi State: 37–60 (.381) 13–41 (.241)
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (Ohio Valley Conference) (2015–2020)
2015–16 Southeast Missouri State 5–24 2–14 6th (West)
2016–17 Southeast Missouri State 15–18 9–7 2nd (West)
2017–18 Southeast Missouri State 14–17 8–10 7th
2018–19 Southeast Missouri State 10–21 5–13 11th
2019–20 Southeast Missouri State 7–24 3–15 12th
Southeast Missouri State: 51–104 (.329) 27–59 (.314)
Total: 88–164 (.349)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Parrish, Gary. "SEMO hires Rick Ray". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  2. ^ "Bulldogs new coach wants things done right". Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  3. ^ "Rick Ray bio at Clemson".
  4. ^ "Stricklin finds his man as MSU hires Ray". Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  5. ^ "Mississippi State fires basketball coach Ray". 21 March 2015.
  6. ^ Ruch, Amber (March 3, 2020). "Rick Ray relieved of duties as SEMO head men's basketball coach". KFVS. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  7. ^ "Rick Ray". University of Colorado Athletics. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Ray, Joyner Named Assistant Coaches". Vanderbilt University Athletics. April 18, 2024.

External links[edit]

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